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Monday, December 15, 2014

Israeli Knesset Elections 2015, 5775, Trying to Keep Up With Party Switching

No doubt that there will be more news and more party switching, like "wife-swapping" among Israeli politicians and wannabes.

Loyalty seems to be a lost skill in Israeli politics, whether it's to ideals, principles or parties. Just like the athletes who switch teams according to whatever contract/salary their agents can get them, our politicians go after the party that can get them the best chance of a Knesset seat and/or cabinet post. Some people may say that I sound cynical and sarcastic, but I think that I'm a total realist, very pragmatic. Read on...

Today's party jumping champ is certainly Tsipi Livni, who although raised in a strong Revisionist home, like Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, has gone off the deep end politically by not only aligning herself with the extreme Left Labor and Issac Herzog, but her foul-mouthed innuendoed appearance on an Israeli satire show turned even more people off. (sorry no translation)

For those who don't remember, Tsipi deserted Likud for Kadima, Kadima for her "The Movement" (a name which got a lot of uncomplimentary laughs,) and now since that ship is sinking she has joined Herzog's Labor Party.

Political zigzagging goes to Avigdor Lieberman, who hopefully by trying to please everyone will attract much fewer votes than before.

A report in Globes Sunday said that among the candidates to run with Kahlon will be Itzik Alrov, a hareidi Israeli from Bnei Brak who was the catalyst for the “cottage cheese protests” several years ago. It was Alrov's Facebook page on the high cost of dairy products that set off a chain reaction that led to mass protests about costs.
Another prospective member of Kulanu is Avi Katz, a member of the Religious Zionist community who is Israel's “father of five shekel coffee.” Katz is the owner of the Coffix chain of coffee shops, which sells everything – coffee, juice, cakes, and sandwiches – for five shekels. In the wake of Coffix's popularity, other five shekel chains have sprung up around the country, and even “traditional” coffee shops have cut costs in order to meet Katz's prices.
According to some reports, the party may even include the penultimate Israeli bargain maker – Rami Levy, head of the eponymous supermarket chain – on the list. Levy's chain is known for discounting, and for running specials on basic items like chicken, which he sells for 5 or 10 shekels a kilo, especially around holiday time, when other chains raise their prices.

Dayan's decision is seen as a decisive move to the right, as he has previously expressed support for Likud and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.Bennett welcomed the move at a press conference Sunday."I am glad [Dayan] has joined Jewish Home," Bennett stated, noting he first turned to Dayan at the Saban Forum in Washington last week. "He is a real fighter for the Land of Israel."

That took me by surprise.

Remember that there are still three months until the Knesset Elections, and the date for primaries and closing of party applications still haven't passed, so there will be more surprises and shake-ups to come. Hold onto your hats, unless you, too, will be tossing them into the ring.

3 comments:

Unlike the other pundits mentioned here, Eli Ishai, Tkuma and Michael Ben Ari could form a strong ideological party with a wide base, and a capacity to fuse together the world of Torah and the Land of Israel with an iron will to oppose any concession to the enemy.